Sheconomics

Monday, 19 May 2014

We spend billions of pounds on clothes annually, so surely the cry 'I don’t know what to wear!’ should never be heard. Yet it is.

A wardrobe crisis mayseem like a minor dilemma in a day packed with important decisions, but it's actually not frivolous. Because the clothes we choose
can shape the day ahead, determining who we meet, how we behave and how others react
to us. No wonder the psychology of fashion is so fascinating.

That’s
why my new book ‘Mind What You Wear’ helps you understand the
impact of what you wear, on yourself.

The
book includes the story of Meg who, on a whim, bought a hat, that made a man
approach her at a party, that led to them marrying. It’s a poignant reminder of how our apparently insignifcant
choices have a huge impact on others. And where that can lead.

But
the main focus of the book is on how what we wear changes us too.

We
walk taller and act more confidently in the right outfit. When we’re dressed
down we withdraw and hide away. Clothes speak to others but they have the power
to speak to us too. Sensations and associations in the body lead to new ideas
in the mind.

Every day we
pull something from the wardrobe, or try on something in a store, that has
life-changing potential.

- The suit that subliminally convinces an interviewer we’re
perfect for the job.

- The red dress that stirs something in a future lover that
leads them to ask for a date.

- Even the swimsuit that can strip us of our
intellectual powers.

(Yes, when Barbara Fredrickson gave a maths test to groups of women and men who wore
either a swimsuit or a sweater, she showed that wearing a swimsuit diminished a
woman’s maths performance).

This was a startling
discovery - that what we wear can actually change the way our brains function.
Later, researchers from Northwestern University in the US showed that putting on
a white coat improved a person’s mental agility. By associating the white coat
with a doctor their brain was primed to take on different mental capacities.

So in my lab we have been putting
students in Superman t-shirts! We’ve
found it makes them see themselves as more likeable and superior to other
students, and even to believe they are physically stronger. Every day the brain’s
functions are primed by sights, smells and experiences. Now we know our mental
processes can also primed by a piece of clothing, which opens up exciting
opportunities.

What we wear has cognitive, social
and emotional consequences.

The right clothing can change who we are, how we think and how we
feel. So we should never underestimate this power. My research has revealed
that when women are depressed they are more likely to wear jeans. What would
happen if, on waking up feeling glum, instead of dragging on the sad pants the
woman pulled on a favourite frock? The effect could be intrapersonal, priming her brain and lifting her mood. Or it could
be interpersonal, the message her clothes
send to the world determining others’ responses to her, triggering a positive feedback
loop capable of changing her mood.

The book has lots of tips to lift your mood
with the right clothes.

One day we may even see clothes prescribed as therapy,
as an alternative to medication. In the meantime why not learn a little more
about how the right clothes can impact on your life by getting hold of a copy
of Mind What You Wear.

Monday, 28 April 2014

Professor Pine's online Wear Something Different programme is coming soon.Released to coincide with her forthcoming book on the psychology of fashion, Mind What You Wear,(Amazon Singles, May 2014) the programme will give you the tools and guidance to experiment with new looks, refresh your image and reconnect with your true personal style.More about the book Mind What You WearTo join Wear Something Different

Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Self-acceptance
could be the key to a happier life, yet it’s the happy habit many people
practise the least.

Happiness is
more than just a feeling; it is something we can all practise on a daily basis.
But people are better at some ‘happy habits’ than others. In fact, the one
habit that corresponds most closely with us being satisfied with our lives
overall – self-acceptance – is often the one we practise least.

When answering this Acceptance question, people’s average rating was just 5.56 out of 10. Only 5% of people put themselves happily at a 10 on the Acceptance habit and almost half (46%) of people rated themselves at 5 or less. There's some work to be done there (tips below).

How often do you make an effort to help or be kind to others?

Giving was the top
habit revealed by those who took the survey. When asked the question abovepeople
scored an average of 7.41 out of 10, with a generous one in six (17%) topping 10 out of
10. Just over one in three (36%) people scored 8 or 9;
slightly fewer (32%) scored 6 or 7; and less than one in six (15%) rated
themselves at 5 or less.

Being connected to others boosts our happiness so making an effort with those people who matter to us is a happy habit.

How often do you put effort into the relationships that matter most to you?

The Relating habit came
a close second. The question above about how well we maintain and nurture our close relationships produced an
average score of 7.36 out of 10.

And a lovely 15% of people scored the maximum 10 out of
10!

Overall how satisfied are you with your life?

The survey also revealed which habits are most closely
related to people’s overall satisfaction with life. All 10 habits were found to
be strongly linked to life satisfaction, with Acceptance found to be the habit that predicts it most strongly.
Yet Acceptance was also revealed as
the habit that people tend to practise the least, generating the lowest average
score from the 5,000 respondents.

How often do you spend at least half an hour a day being active?

Treating our bodies to regular physical activity is another proven
happy habit. Yet the survey revealed that this is another habit that we don't all get round to practising. The average answer to the exercise question above was just 5.88
out of 10, with 45% of couch-huggers rating themselves 5 or less.

How do you get the happy habit?

If you want to boost your happy habits check out the new Do Happiness programme. It costs just £15 for a profile and regular small positive actions (Do’s) by text and email, customised so you can practice your happy habits daily.

And signing up will be your first act of Giving because, for each programme sold Do Something Different, gives one away free to someone who can't afford it.

How to practise the self-acceptance habit.

Here are three positive actions that
people can take to increase their levels of self-acceptance:

·Be as kind to yourself as you are to others. See your mistakes as
opportunities to learn. Notice things you do well, however small

·Ask a trusted friend or colleague to tell you what your strengths are or
what they value about you

·Spend some quiet time by yourself. Tune in to how you're feeling inside
and try to be at peace with who you are.

Where did the
happy habits come from?

The happy habits included in the survey are based on the Ten Keys to Happier Living framework,
developed by Action for Happiness based on an extensive review of the latest
research about what really affects mental wellbeing. Together the Ten Keys
spell the acronym GREAT DREAM, as follows:

·Giving: do things for others

·Relating: connect with people

·Exercising: take care of your body

·Appreciating: notice the world around

·Trying out: keep learning new things

·Direction: have goals to look forward to

·Resilience: find ways to bounce back

·Emotion: take a positive approach

·Acceptance: be comfortable with who you are

·Meaning: be part of something bigger

Don't forget if you're feeling like you've let your happy habits slip, you can still get them back and turn your life around. Check out http:dsd.me/dohappiness

Friday, 24 January 2014

“The brain is a habit machine” one of the founders of Do Something Different, Professor Ben Fletcher, often tells us, before going on to remind us how recent
scientific discoveries have changed views about the adult brain.

For
many years it was thought the brain was fixed and immutable, that it was
incapable of restructuring itself. Then, in the early twentieth century,
evidence emerged showing that the brain
is more malleable than ever thought possible. It can and does change.

We’re
talking here about the principle of neuroplasticity. It is now recognised that the
brain is constantly changing in response to new experiences, new behaviors and different
environments. Novel stimuli cause the brain to create new neural pathways or reorganize existing ones,
fundamentally altering how behaviour is created and how information is
processed.

A ground-breaking
study into neuroplasticity involved scanning the brains of London taxi drivers
(Maguire et al., 2000). Typically, a London taxi driver spends around two years
studying the complex layout of the city and its myriad of streets. This long,
rigorous period of training causes structural changes in the taxi drivers’
brains. When their brains were exposed to fMRI scanning, the taxi drivers’ hippocampuses
were found to be significantly larger than those of a control group of 50
healthy men. The hippocampus is the brain
area involved in memory and navigation. And the longer the time spent as
a taxi driver the larger it was.

Repetition of an
activity (in other words, habits) results in the brain falling back on the same
set of existing neural pathways.

Further
examples of brain neuroplasticity are less dramatic, but they demonstrate the
same principle. They have shown that some activities impact the brain more than
others (Mechelli et al., 2004; Gaser and Schlaug, 2003; Draganski et al., 2006)
and that repetition of an activity (in other words, habits) results in the
brain falling back on the same set of existing neural pathways. Therefore, to continue changing, the
brain must be challenged to work in new ways. It must be exposed to novel experiences
and new behaviours.

To continue
changing, the brain must be challenged to work in new ways. It must be exposed
to novel experiences and new behaviours.

DoSomething Different draws on this idea, by helping everyone on our programmes to
create experiences that challenge their existing habits. Because brain science
also tells us that experiences change the brain, not thoughts. It’s about
acting, not thinking.

The Do’s we create tackle the
individual’s habitual ways of behaving and responding. Doing something
different exposes the person to regular, novel experiences. This reduces the
likelihood of the brain falling back on old neural pathways. Not only does this
mean that life gets better, it also means old maladaptive behaviours – overeating,
excessive drinking, bias, stress - are less likely to get repeated. This is
behaviour change in action, one Do at a time.

This is a copy of a blog I (Karen) wrote for the Do Something Different website over at http://dsd.me. Many of the principles discussed here apply to people's money habits too!

You may not realise that your physiology is affecting your behaviour. But
when you're hungry you will buy more food and make higher calorific choices at
the supermarket. When in an anxious state you will be more likely to
impulse-buy. That's because the physical state of high arousal leads to a depletion of the resources that govern self-control.
And fluctuations in activity in the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex during the
menstrual cycle will make you more likely to go on a spending spree when
premenstrual. And more rational and
controlled post-ovulation. Even an empty bladder affects your brain’s control
mechanisms. Science has shown you’ll be more likely to (sorry) splash out if
you’ve just spent a penny. So pay attention to your body before hitting the
shops, it may be telling you to hold fire.

2. Emotional factors: Don’t shop if you’ve just had a row, a stressful
day or been dumped by your boyfriend.

People experience a range of emotions (anger, fear, sadness)
in their daily lives and engage in all sorts of behavioural responses to keep
them in check. Some women find shopping gives them an emotional outlet, the way that alcohol or drugs can do for others. It distracts them from negative
feelings and provides comfort in the form of a treat or reward. In fact studies
of compulsive buying have shown that its prime function is to repair mood. So
spot when emotions are running high and find an alternative way of releasing
them. Find distraction through exercise or relaxation, or seek social support by
spending time with friends. Concentration, whether on gardening, painting or
rock-climbing, is also a good way to absorb negative emotions. And the Do
Something Different approach to behavioural change could help see you through the tough times because it's all about about breaking habits and increasing behavioural flexibility.

Impulse purchases can trigger a lot of self-justification in the consumer, to assuage the guilt of over-spending. Their thoughts echo with the messages
that have been implanted by constant brain-washing and bombarding marketing
campaigns. Thoughts such as “Why shouldn’t I have it?” “I work hard I deserve
it” “My friends will love me for it” and so on. Self-talk can also shift the
focus onto the wrong things, “I’m saving £100 by buying this in the sale” (instead of, “I’m spending £200 I don’t have") or even "I'll show him!" Some cognitive reframing can help here.
Relabel your credit card your debt card. Silently answer the ad-men back.
Recall when you last had buyer’s remorse and tell yourself how you’ll feel
tomorrow. And find ways to boost your self-esteem so that you can resist the
constant bombardment of persuasive messages. Few people greet a large credit
card bill with the words, “Because I’m worth it”.

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About Me

I'm a Professor of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and Professor of Fashion Psychology at Istanbul Bilgi University. Women's relationship with money is a keen interest of mine, since it is often psychologically and emotionally complex. And fashion interests me because it if so integral to personality and identity.
I teamed up with financial coach Simonne Gnessen to create Sheconomics. I'm also co-founder of the Do Something Different approach to behaviour change, see www.dsd.me or www.karenpine.com.
For more about Simonne's company Wise Monkey visit www.financial-coaching.co.uk.